The British Championship took place in Liverpool earlier this month. Once the pinnacle of the British chess summit, the tournament has suffered in recent years in comparison to the more lucrative events in Europe. However this year the ₤5000 first prize attracted quite a strong field of mainly English players. Among them was grandmaster Stuart Conquest, who visited New Zealand last year, playing in several tournaments. He lead into the last round and finished first equal on 8/11 with GM Keith Arkell, who caught up with a last round win over top seed, GM Gawain Jones. The two played off for the British title in two Rapidplay games with Conquest winning 1½-½.
Today's game is Conquest's fourth round win over Arkell, playing Black, which won the game of the day prize for that round.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 g6 6. Nc2 d6 7. e4 Bg7 8. Be2 Nd7 9. Bd2 O-O 10. O-O Nc5 11. b4!? Bxc3
White's pawn sacrifice brings this hedgehog position to life. Black accepts though it is more common to play 11 ... Ne6 with a reasonable game. 12. Bxc3 Nxe4 13. Bb2 f5
Most often played here is 13 ... Be6 when White gets some pressure for the sacrificed pawn. Black wants to secure some kingside space for his knights which are about to get harrassed by pawns, but the permanent weakness created in his kingside structure combined with the absence of the dark squared defensive bishop gives White long term chances of attack. Note how Conquest plays unhurredly, as if he was not a pawn down. 14. Kh1 a5 15. b5 Ne5 16. Qd4 Nf6 17. f4 Nf7 18. Rad1 Qc7 19. Qf2 e5 20. Qh4 Ne4 21. Ne3 g5?!
A hard move to understand unless we look at the alternative: 21 ... Be6 22 Bd3 Qc5 23 Rf3 and the threat of 24 Rh3 with a strong attack more or less requires Black to play 23 ... g5 anyway. Black hopes to be rid of threats to open the long a1-h8 diagonal, but it was unnecessary to allow the white knight free access to the outpost on d5. 22. fxg5 Nfxg5 23. Nd5 Qd8 24. Bd3 Re8 25. c5! ---
Having maneouvred all his forces to aim at the black king, White systematically undermines the Black central bulwark. 25. --- Nxc5
Or 25 ... dxc5 26 Bxe4 Nxe4 27 Qxd8 Rxd8 28 Ne7+ winning the exchange with the e-pawn to follow. 26. Bxf5 Bxf5 27. Rxf5 Nge4 28. Qg4+ Kh8 29. Rdf1 Re6 30. Qh3 Qg8?!
The pressure gets to Black who prefers to give up the exchange to get rid of the knight on d5. After a move like 30... Rg6 there is no immediate breakthough for White, nor any letoff for Black. 31. Nc7 Rae8 32. Nxe8 Rxe8 33. Qh4 Qg6
Although Black has two passed pawns and only a small material deficit, the power of the white bishop on b2 eyeing the king on h8 keeps his central pawns and both knights immobilised. So he makes a bid for freedom. 34. Rf8+ Rxf8 35. Rxf8+ Kg7 36. Qe7+ Kh6 37. Qh4+ Kg7 38. Qe7+ Kh6
Gaining time on the clock before the final assault. 39. Bc1+ Kh5 40. Rf3 Ng5 41. g4+! Resigns
If 41 ... Kh6 42 Qf8+ Qg7 43 Rf6 mate and the knight is lost after either 41 ... Kxg4 42 Rg3+ or 41 ... Kh4 42 Bxg5+ Kxg4 (42 ... Qxg5? 43 Qxh7+ mates) 43 Rg3+.
Conquest wins British Championship
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
The British Championship took place in Liverpool earlier this month. Once the pinnacle of the British chess summit, the tournament has suffered in recent years in comparison to the more lucrative events in Europe. However this year the ₤5000 first prize attracted quite a strong field of mainly English players. Among them was grandmaster Stuart Conquest, who visited New Zealand last year, playing in several tournaments. He lead into the last round and finished first equal on 8/11 with GM Keith Arkell, who caught up with a last round win over top seed, GM Gawain Jones. The two played off for the British title in two Rapidplay games with Conquest winning 1½-½.
Today's game is Conquest's fourth round win over Arkell, playing Black, which won the game of the day prize for that round.
1. Nf3 Nf6
2. c4 c5
3. Nc3 Nc6
4. d4 cxd4
5. Nxd4 g6
6. Nc2 d6
7. e4 Bg7
8. Be2 Nd7
9. Bd2 O-O
10. O-O Nc5
11. b4!? Bxc3
White's pawn sacrifice brings this hedgehog position to life. Black accepts though it is more common to play 11 ... Ne6 with a reasonable game.
12. Bxc3 Nxe4
13. Bb2 f5
Most often played here is 13 ... Be6 when White gets some pressure for the sacrificed pawn. Black wants to secure some kingside space for his knights which are about to get harrassed by pawns, but the permanent weakness created in his kingside structure combined with the absence of the dark squared defensive bishop gives White long term chances of attack. Note how Conquest plays unhurredly, as if he was not a pawn down.
14. Kh1 a5
15. b5 Ne5
16. Qd4 Nf6
17. f4 Nf7
18. Rad1 Qc7
19. Qf2 e5
20. Qh4 Ne4
21. Ne3 g5?!
A hard move to understand unless we look at the alternative: 21 ... Be6 22 Bd3 Qc5 23 Rf3 and the threat of 24 Rh3 with a strong attack more or less requires Black to play 23 ... g5 anyway. Black hopes to be rid of threats to open the long a1-h8 diagonal, but it was unnecessary to allow the white knight free access to the outpost on d5.
22. fxg5 Nfxg5
23. Nd5 Qd8
24. Bd3 Re8
25. c5! ---
Having maneouvred all his forces to aim at the black king, White systematically undermines the Black central bulwark.
25. --- Nxc5
Or 25 ... dxc5 26 Bxe4 Nxe4 27 Qxd8 Rxd8 28 Ne7+ winning the exchange with the e-pawn to follow.
26. Bxf5 Bxf5
27. Rxf5 Nge4
28. Qg4+ Kh8
29. Rdf1 Re6
30. Qh3 Qg8?!
The pressure gets to Black who prefers to give up the exchange to get rid of the knight on d5. After a move like 30... Rg6 there is no immediate breakthough for White, nor any letoff for Black.
31. Nc7 Rae8
32. Nxe8 Rxe8
33. Qh4 Qg6
Although Black has two passed pawns and only a small material deficit, the power of the white bishop on b2 eyeing the king on h8 keeps his central pawns and both knights immobilised. So he makes a bid for freedom.
34. Rf8+ Rxf8
35. Rxf8+ Kg7
36. Qe7+ Kh6
37. Qh4+ Kg7
38. Qe7+ Kh6
Gaining time on the clock before the final assault.
39. Bc1+ Kh5
40. Rf3 Ng5
41. g4+! Resigns
If 41 ... Kh6 42 Qf8+ Qg7 43 Rf6 mate and the knight is lost after either 41 ... Kxg4 42 Rg3+ or 41 ... Kh4 42 Bxg5+ Kxg4 (42 ... Qxg5? 43 Qxh7+ mates) 43 Rg3+.
1-0
Solution: 1 Qg7+!! Kxg7 2 Nf5+ Kg8 3 Nh6#.